CDC: 221 sickened by synthetic marijuana in Colo.

DENVER — Synthetic marijuana is believed to have sickened 221 people in Colorado during an outbreak earlier this year.

A Centers for Disease Control report released Thursday says health officials dug deeper into 127 cases reported in the Denver area and Colorado Springs from mid-August to mid-September. Of those, 10 were admitted into intensive care but no deaths were reported. Most of the patients — overwhelmingly male with a median age of 26 — were treated and released.

The report says the Colorado health and law enforcement officials are looking into whether one of two new variants of synthetic marijuana contributed to the illnesses. One was linked to a similar outbreak in Georgia in August.

Synthetic marijuana is illegal in Colorado. Four stores identified by those who became sick have been closed.